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Just like every year, the 2025 NBA Summer League gave prospects of all kinds playing time to prove their worth to franchises. For the Boston Celtics, the Summer League especially represents an opportunity to snag players on minimum deals for a season set to be highly transitional in nature.
In the five games the Celtics played in the summer league, only the 22-year-old Kendall Brown featured each time. The 22-year-old forward, originally the 48th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, has been a bit of a journeyman and has played in 21 NBA games in his career thus far.
Brown is a highly experienced G League player, having played for the Long Island Nets before signing a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets in February 2025. The player was later released, but his summer league showings with the Celtics prove that he can still develop into an interesting role player, exactly the kind Boston may be looking to bet on ahead of an injury-curtailed season.
Kendall Brown can still make NBA roster after impressing for the Celtics
The athletic 22-year-old forward has emerged as a serious candidate to make the roster. Brown played in all five Summer League games, displaying high-level efficiency, awareness, and untapped potential despite averaging just 15 minutes per outing.
His stat line of 8.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and one assist per game doesn’t tell the full story. Brown shot an elite 69% from the field and scored in double-digits four out of the five times he played.
Brown seems to already have an idea of the pace in the big league and looked comfortable throughout while showing some elite shooting potential. His best showing came against the Atlanta Hawks, where he scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, showing a level of efficiency the Celtics can make use of in the NBA off the bench.
Brown’s overall athleticism is clearly NBA-caliber, and when paired with his feel for the game, it becomes easy to see why teams have remained intrigued by him. The Celtics, who are in search of long, versatile wings that can run the floor, defend, and finish at the rim, could view Brown as a developmental project with real upside.
While there is work to be done on his defensive skillset, Brown already looks capable of contributing on the other end of the court consistently. Further, Brown brings real NBA experience to the table. He was drafted 48th overall by the Timberwolves in 2022 before being traded to the Indiana Pacers. Brown began his pro journey on a two-way contract.
However, he suffered a tibia stress fracture that required surgery in early 2023, and re-signed with the Pacers on a two-way contract in July 2023. He eventually landed a three-year deal before being waived in October, per Basketball Reference.
At just 22 years old, he still has room to grow physically and can easily develop into an off-the-ball scorer with a solid defensive foundation. Whether the Celtics decide to offer him a two-way contract or an Exhibit-10 deal, Brown has already proven that he belongs in the NBA and has the fighting spirit to recover from the many setbacks his career has already seen.
As far as the Celtics’ summer league campaign goes, Kendall Brown is easily the most intriguing prospect who deserves time in the NBA.
